Free wheel or ratchet clutch



Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES CHARLES DALTON, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND FREE WHEEL OR RATCHET CLUTCH Application filed December 12, 1931, Serial No. 580,674, and in Great Britain December 15, 1930. l

This invention relates to an improved free Wheel or ratchet clutch of the type in which the drive is transmitted from the driving,

member to the driven member by the wedging action of toggle struts transmitting substantially radial compressive forces from the driving to the driven member and operating upon shoes or equivalent separate members which bear against the driving or driven member, the struts being so disposed that movement thereof tending to positionthem radial to or with the clutch centre effects a rigid frictional drive between the driving and driven members.

According to the invention, the mounting of the shoe on its associated driving or driven member through the medium of they drive transmitting toggle strut or struts is such as to afford a. wedging action in both directions 2@ of motion whereby the shoe is forced into contact with t-he other member, means being provided for suppressing drive in either direction at will. Thus the shoe may be mounted on I the driving or driven member through the medium of two sets of struts or rigid links, all the links in any one set being inclined almost at right angles to the direction of motion of the clutch and struts or links in different sets being inclined in oppositeisense,

39 whilst in the preferred construction the shafts are coaxial and the driving and driven members are disposed one within the other.

When no drive is being transmitted the shoes may be lightly heid in contact with the driven member by means of suitable springs, and

pairs of oppositely inclined struts or links may be afforded by single members and suitable means may be provided for adjusting the tension of such springs so as to suitably posi- 40 tion the duplicate strut or link members for the direction of free wheel drive required.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the

same will now be more'fully described with reference to and by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which r Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the principle of operation of thetype of free wheel clutch or ratchet to which the invention relates. A Y

Figure 2 is a transverse section of a clutch constructed according tov one embodiment ofthe invention and shown as driving in a clockwise direction, y v

Figure 3 is a part sectional elevationV of Figure 2.-

Figure 4t is a fragmentarysection similar to Figure 2, but illustrating a modified arrangef ment. f I f Referring now to Figure 1l of the drawings, the-type ,of clutch, as illustrated in one of' its simplest forms, comprises a driving member 1, a driven member 2 in the form of a drum surrounding the member 1, and shoes 3 mounted on lsaid driving member 1 by means of rigid pivoted struts or links 4 inclined almost at right anglesto the direction of rota-f tion ofthe clutch. i V

- The shoes 3 which may be lubricated are normally in rubbing Contact with the drum 2 and are preferably maintained inthis po-l sition by meansofsprings 5 although this isl strictly only necessary to ensure immediate take up of the drive on reversal. kIt will be seen that whenl the dri-ving member-1 vis rotated ina clockwise direction there will be a tendency forfthe struts or links-4 to move' into a radial position by reason of the' fric` tion between the shoes 3 and the drum 2, thus forcing said shoes againstsaid drum and so"y transmitting the drive, whilst if the mem` berl is rotated lin an anti-clockwise directionl the struts or links will tend to make a smaller angle with the direction of rotation and mere-v ly remain in the position illustrated by reason of theaction of the springs 5, no drive being transmitted. It will be understood that the drive could quite as well be applied through the drum 2 as through the member 1. Y

Referring to the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated in'Figures 2 and-'3, the driving member l is mounted on a shaft 1x and rotates in bearings afforded by bushes 6 in the rotatable drum which latter constitutes the driven member 2 and is keyed to the driven shaft 2*. The drive is transmitted between the member 1 and thedrum. 2 by shoes 3, which may be bevelled to ensure a smooth take up. Three of such shoes are provided and they are distanced apart by pins 7. The driving member 1 is formed with three fiat-bottomed channels, one corresponding to each of the shoes 3, and the latter are supported on the drivingmember through the medium of struts or links 4 bearing at one end on pins 9 carried in slots inl the driving member 1 and at the other on pins 10 onthe shoes 3'. Each setgof pins 9, 10 is disposed in triangular Jformation and each strut or link is adapted to interconnect all three pins 9, 10 and it Will be seen-that this arrangement is the equivalent of two sets of struts or links inclined equally but in op'- posite. senses to the direction of rotation and that the struts or links 4 are consequently capablo-of pivotingv about either of the pins 9 toA force the: shoes 3. outwardly and so can afforda tree:Y Wheel drivein either direction. Further, the struts or links can be maintained ina neutral position, in which the shoes 3 are merely in rubbing contact with the drum.

2- and the clutch therefore: transmits no drive in either direction. links the initial .setting suitable for therequired direction of free Wheel drive, each pair of pins 10 isconnected by springs 5 to a common support which is angularly adjustable about. the driving member 1,: and Whichin this case takes the form ot a pin 12 mounted f Ona sleeve ladaptedto be giventhe required angularV movement relative to the driving member by virtue of? its pin and slot connection 14 with a slidable sleeve 15 keyed to the driving shaftL 1*. 'tu-ated any convenient lever mechanism and in this connection the latter may have. y suitable locking meansl inorder to enable the clutch to; be maintained in the desired posi-- tion. InA orderv to reduce the number of springs-the-pins 10H-lay be interconnectedsby athree legged spider and-only one, pair of springs provided to connect one ot the pins 10J With the; sleeve 13.

Instead-of beingbased onthe driving mem-- ber 1, they triangular formation ofthe pins 9., 1.0,V mayA be: reversed as shown in Figure 4. The-principleot operation is exactly thefsame butiristead, of. the struts-or links 4 pivoting'v about a dil'erentpoint on the; drivin-g member 1 Aforeach direction of rotation the-pivoting pointis constant and ther point of apclutch tol force the shoe-into contactvwiththe associated member, and; means; forV suppressing driveV in either direction at Will.`

2.. A free Wheelj or ratchet .clutch comprising in: combination, a driving member',`V a

-ff .driven member, a: shoe associated with one In order to.- give-they Said sleeve 15 may be ac-.

of the clutch, and means for suppressing drive in either direction at Will. Y Y

3. A free Wheel or ratchet clutch comprising in combination, a driving member, a driven member, ashoe associated With one of said members, a duplicate strut member affording a pairv of radially acting drive transmitting toggle struts inclined to the motion o the clutch but in opposite sense to afford a Wedging action in. both directions of motion of the clutch, and means for suppressing drive in, either direction at Will.

4.` A free Wheel or ratchet clutch coinprisingjin combination a driving member, a driven member, a shoe associated With one ot said members, avduplicat-e. strut member aiifording, a pair of radi-ally acting drive transmitting toggle strut-s grooved at both ends and inclined to the motion of the clutch,

butin. opposite sense, pins cooperating` with y the grooves in the rends: of the toggle,y struts and With the shoe and' other memberto aiiord a Wed-ging, action in both directions of motion of the'` clutch, and means for supprcssingYV drive in either direction at Will.

- 5. Af frec'ivheel; or ratchet clutch comdirection of drive required.

-A freel Wheel or ratchet clutch comprising incombination, a driving member, a driven member,a shoe associated withY one of said members,r a: radially acting` duplicate stru-t member having a groove at one end and tWov groovesat the other end, pinsco-operatingrvvith the grooves in the ends of the duplicate strut member and With the shoe and the other'memberv to afford a Wedging action iny both 'directions of motion of the clutch, and, means.' for; rockingy said duplicate strut member' about certain of said pins to positionitfrom one operative positionto the other according to the direction of. drive required.v Y

7. A free Wheel or ratchet clutch comprisingv in combination co-aXial ,driving and driven members,` a shoe associated With one of' said members, azduplicate strut member a-dording; a pair of. radially acting drive transmitting toggle struts inclined to the motion of the clutch but in opposite sense: tov

afford a Wedging action in both directions of motion of the clutch, supports angularly adjustable about the driving member and at either side of the duplicate strut member, springs connecting said duplicate strut member to the supports on either side thereof, and means for angularly adjusting said supports to position the duplicate strut member according to the direction of drive required.

8. A free Wheel or ratchet clutch comprising in combination, co-axial driving and driven members, a shoe associated With one of said members, a duplicate strut member affording a pair of radially acting drive transmitting toggle struts inclined to the motion of the clutch but in opposite sense to afford a vvedging action in both directions of motion of the clutch, a sleeve angularly adjustable through a pin and slot connection relatively to the driving member, pins on said sleeve and at either side of the duplicate strut member, springs connecting said duplicate strut member to said pins on either side thereof, and means for operating said sleeve to angularly adjust said supports and thereby position the duplicate strut member according to the direction of drive required.

9. A free Wheel or ratchet clutch comprising in combination, co-axial driving and driven members, a shoe associated with one of said members, a radially acting duplicate strut member having a groove at one end and two grooves at the other end, pins co-operating with the grooves in the end-s of the duplicate strut member and with the shoe and the other member to afford a Wedging action in both directions of motion of the clutch, an angularly adjustable sleeve, pins on said sleeve and at either side of the duplicate strut member, springs connecting said duplicate strut member to said pins on either side thereof, and a further sleeve slidably keyed to the driving member, and pin and slot mechanism interconnecting the two sleeves.

CHARLES DALTON. 

